


In the Woods

by HeartArtemisHunter133



Category: Andrew Hozier-Byrne (Musician), Palaye Royale (Band), Yungblud (Musician)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:36:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29863734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartArtemisHunter133/pseuds/HeartArtemisHunter133
Summary: This is going to be more of a series of stories involving humans and old gods of the wilds. I'm willing to take story suggestions for them but for the most part this is going to be writing exercise for me. I'll probably end up basing the old gods off of musicians who will be added to the tags as I go. Heavily inspired by the tumblr blog dateaforestgod.I hope you find this amusing as I go and maybe sooner or later an actual story may come from this.
Kudos: 5





	1. Lost

I should have known better than to wander in the woods so close to sunset. But upset and disconnected... I wanted to ground myself. The only way I had truly found myself able to do that was to wander in the woods for a while. It was beautiful, just letting the golden rays of sunlight filter through the leaves to grace my skin. Connection to the earth. To nature. To the home I had long since abandoned. These woods I had grown up in... but here I was once more. Older. Not the little child that spent hours upon hours chasing leaves and noises through the woods. Who knew all the trees...

As the sun set, panic struck my chest looking around as I tried to find my way home once more. The noises I had been savoring turned dark and menacing as I feared I was lost. I knew I was lost. How could I not? It had been years. I had no deer friend to guide me home. I was lost.

I was alone.

I stood still for a moment... remembering how when I was small I would follow my friend- An imaginary friend I had made up in my youth- a tall rugged stag with so many points on his antlers that were draped in moss and flowers... all the way home to the cabin that my family had nestled in the wooded mountains where I had returned at last. 

I heard noises- crunching of leaves and twigs. My eyes shot open staring up, expecting to see a cougar-

Instead, there he stood. My old friend. Unchanged, walking forward to nudge me, to wipe my tears from my cheeks almost amused.

His gentle eyes looked into mine. Deep mossy green stared into my own and my hand reached out, smoothing his fur, deep red and soft... I wrapped my arms around him, weeping into his fur. His head draped carefully over my shoulder as if to hold me closer, in a hug of his own. 

I don't know how long I wept into his fur, but he was patient with me, before nudging me along, taking me home, trusting him as much as I had when I was a child. Eventually, I saw my cabin come into view and I ran forward, my hand leaving his soft coat. Before I reached the door of my cabin I looked back to see a man wearing a gentle smile, tall and massive, and many pointed antlers growing from his mess of long curls. "Thank you." I breathed to him, only getting a slightly bigger smile before he turned disappearing into the forest making my heart soar just a bit higher for a moment. Perhaps being lost again wouldn't be so scary.


	2. Lost Pt. 2

It was a few weeks before I dared to venture back into the forest, but in the days since... I had left small offerings of apple birdfeeders and apples by the edge of the trees, just enough to feed the creatures that lurked in the woods. I hadn't seen my friend in the time but whenever I stepped too close I would feel his eyes on me from somewhere deeper in. As if he was watching for me.

One evening I was on my porch reclined back in a lounging wood chair that my dad had made ages before. I was wearing a jacket at the very least, but it was already cooling down fast. For some reason, though I didn't want to move. Too comfortable perhaps but also the sense of safety I had... my eyes fluttered shut, promising to get up soon. To go inside. But after a few minutes, I felt a weight drop over my body- and my eyes opened blearily, looking up to see the form of the man with the antlers. His moss-green eyes gazed into my eyes and his calloused hand rose to brush over my neck and cheek from where he placed a blanket over me.

 _"You should be inside to sleep, little doe."_ he breathed before tilting my head forward so he could place a soft kiss on my brow, warming my body. _"I will watch over you 'til morning. Just rest now._ " 

His voice held the warmth of rocks that had been in the sun all day, with the notes of crunchy leaves in fall in the lows and in the lifts, it was like a songbird speaking. Enchanting and endearing as I merely nodded curling up as he sat on the edge of my porch silently watching over me as he said he would.

But by morning when I woke he was gone, leaving me a pile of berries and a bouquet of wildflowers. I gathered them with a gentle smile, popping one of the berries into my mouth almost melting at how sweet they were. Perfectly ripe... It was almost as if he had made or rather found me breakfast... I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks heat up as I put the flowers into a vase, and snacked on the berries.

By the time noon rolled around, I was trekking into the woods, looking for him, some freshly baked bread in my pack for him. I wanted his name at the very least.

It took a while, but eventually, I came to a stream, sitting on the edge of it quietly, enjoying the moment in nature. Unsure of how long I sat, eventually I looked over to see him sitting beside me. I gasped, startled by his sudden appearance as he looked at me, tilting his head curiously. _"I apologize... I didn't think I was being so quiet. Did you like the berries?"_ he asked softly.

"I... I did! I brought you something as a thank you," I replied, pulling out the loaf with shaky hands as I offered the loaf to him. It was wrapped in butcher paper and tied with twine, not wanting to leave him with anything that would pollute his home.

His long dirty fingers untied it and peeled back the layers a smile growing on his face, hiding in his beard. _"...It's beautiful... it smells amazing as well!"_ I couldn't hide the blush that came from that small compliment. His eyes locked with mine. _"You've grown up very much since you left..."_

I nodded, looking at my lap. "I have... and I'm here to stay now. I wanted to stay here so no one would find me."

 _"I can keep you hidden."_ He eagerly volunteered with a growing smile, eyes twinkling like the sun reflecting off the water just a few feet away.

"I... I don't even know your name."

_"I used to have a name but I forgot it long ago... how about you pick out my name instead?"_


End file.
